Chinese nationals filed half the applications. Property purchases now outweigh fixed deposits, reversing the order Malaysia reported for 2025.
Malaysia’s tourism minister has asked the Immigration Department to increase checks on MM2H participants who do business without permission. MOTAC lists business as permissible only on the Platinum tier, which made up 46 of the program’s 3,172 approvals in 2025.
From Athens’ €50,000 Airbnb fines to Dubai’s anything-goes freeholds, what golden visa investors may do with a qualifying property now varies wildly.
Common-law partners, same-sex spouses, and fiancés get very different answers depending on the jurisdiction, ranging from a notary visit to an outright second file.
In nine of them, the loss happens automatically, with no order issued and no notice served.
Section 17 makes the foreign mother the only parent that counts, and the 2024 reform does not reach anyone already born.
Network sold counterfeit MM2H stickers for US$2,530 each to applicants seeking to use them to obtain entry into a major Western destination.
Most golden visas cover a spouse and minor children. These nine go further, allowing parents, grandparents, siblings, and adult children well into their thirties.
3,172 approvals and nearly US$1B in deposits and property; MM2H’s rebound from its disastrous 2021 overhaul is now quantifiable.
MM2H approved 9,511 participants in 18 months after managing just 1,900 in the three years prior; 2,637 property transactions remain pending.
Chinese buyers lead with 304 transactions, 41% of the total, followed by Taiwanese nationals at 91 and Singaporeans at 63.
Compare Asia’s top investment visas: Singapore GIP, Hong Kong CIES, Thailand Privilege, Malaysia MM2H, and more. Investment thresholds, residency paths, and citizenship options explained.
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Chinese applicants dominated MM2H approvals, followed by South Koreans, Japanese, Bangladeshis and Britons.
New security protocols require international background checks and intelligence screening for all MM2H applicants.
Malaysia roundup: MM2H fraud case, Sabah opens streamlined processing center, and government highlights billions from foreign residents.
Following its 2024 overhaul, MM2H posted an 84% boost in inflows, including RM237 million in property and RM597 million in deposits.
Ministerial takeover accelerated SMM2H: 1,901 approvals in 5 years versus 1,240 in previous 13 years under Immigration control.
Chinese nationals lead both the Federal and Sarawak MM2H programs, accounting for a total of more than 15k applications.
Since its inception, the MM2H program has granted residency to nearly 60,000 applicants, cementing its status as one of the leading programs in the region.
